Fireworks burst brilliantly overhead.
Children were running around excitedly nearby.
The sparkler in her hand burned out. Jiang Mingxi placed it at her feet, looked up at the fireworks overhead, and said, "I heard from Zhao Ke that you really like watching fireworks."
With red-rimmed eyes, Song Lan reached out and pulled Jiang Mingxi into her arms.
When I was two years old, my younger brother was born.
"At that time, the family business was not doing very well. My dad and grandpa were always busy traveling to various places on business trips, flying back and forth."
"It's just my mom, my younger brother, and me at home."
"When I was too young, I don't remember anything. By the time I could remember, it seemed like my mother could only see my younger brother."
"When my brother and I both fell down, she would only pick up my brother and comfort him."
"My brother and I are both sick, but she will only take care of my brother."
"Even when I talk to her, I have to walk up to her and talk to her many times before she will answer me."
"I remember one year during Chinese New Year, there were so many fireworks outside, they were so beautiful. I excitedly ran from the yard into the house and said to my mom, 'Mom, look! Fireworks!'"
I think I was five years old that year.
My mom slapped me and told me to shut up, saying my little brother was asleep and I would wake him up.
Jiang Mingxi never expected to hear such words and was shocked, wanting to turn her head to look at Song Lan.
But Song Lan had her arm around his shoulder, her hand clasped tightly.
Jiang Mingxi paused for a moment in shock, but didn't turn her head, letting Song Lan hold her.
"I felt really wronged at the time because during the day, I heard my mom and brother say that she loved fireworks the most and that she would definitely watch them carefully when they started to set off at night."
I thought she would be happy if I told her.
She said her younger brother was asleep, but he wasn't asleep at all. After she hit me, he got out of bed and excitedly ran out to watch the fireworks. My mom followed behind him, saying, "Slow down, Xiaobao, don't fall," as she caught up with him, picked him up, and held him in her arms as they watched the fireworks in the yard.
When she left, she closed the door behind her.
After watching the fireworks, she took her younger brother to my maternal grandmother's house, a journey that took three days.
"I was locked in the room without food or water for three days."
Jiang Mingxi was so shocked she couldn't react.
When he visited the Song Family, Grandpa Song, Song Bai, and Song Lan's sister-in-law were all very, very good people.
He never imagined that Song Lan would have such an experience.
Song Lan was only five years old at the time. A five-year-old child, she was beaten by her mother, watched helplessly as her mother took her younger brother to watch fireworks in the yard, watched her mother carry her brother away, and was locked up for three days...
When I was nine years old, my mother suddenly became nicer to me.
"When he buys clothes for his younger brother, he also buys them for me. When he buys toys for his younger brother, he also buys them for me. He even smiles at me sometimes."
"You know what, Jiang Mingxi, I was so happy back then. My mom finally liked me. Every night before I went to sleep, I would pray that she would be nice to me the next day."
"I'm both excited and worried. I'm afraid that everything is good right now, but I'm also afraid that when I wake up from this dream, all the good things will be gone."
Song Lan's voice was choked with sobs; he was crying.
Not long after, my mom said she would take my brother and me to my grandpa's house.
"That day, my mom specially dressed me in new clothes. Even my younger brother didn't get new clothes; I was the only one wearing them. Do you know how happy I was?"
I thought my mom loved me more.
"But the car had an accident on the highway. Just as the truck was about to crash into our car, my mother grabbed my brother and pushed me away."
"I was leaning against the car door, which had been smashed open by the truck."
"When she pushed me away, I rolled onto the highway along with the smashed door."
Jiang Mingxi was startled and looked up at Song Lan.
Song Lan tilted her head back, tears streaming down her face.
"I watched helplessly as the truck smashed the car to pieces."
Jiang Mingxi raised his hand to wipe Song Lan's tears. Song Lan took his hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. "But I still love watching fireworks. Every time I watch them, I think about what would have happened if I hadn't made it through those three days of being trapped."
Jiang Mingxi was surprised that Song Lan liked watching fireworks and that this was what he was thinking about. She was so angry that she raised her hand and slapped him.
"What could happen? You'd definitely die, and your mom would live a happy life with your brother. What else could she do? Do you think she'd regret leaving you behind? If she really regretted it, she wouldn't have pushed you away on the highway."
Song Lan grabbed Jiang Mingxi's hand that was hitting him, held it in his hand, and kissed it.
Jiang Mingxi sighed, "Your mother treated you like that, and your father and grandfather didn't care? What about your older brother back then?"
Song Lan held Jiang Mingxi's hand and said, "My mom wouldn't be so unreasonable when they're at home."
Jiang Mingxi frowned. "They didn't notice? Then why didn't you tell on them?"
Song Lan moved her lips, brushing them against Jiang Mingxi's fingers. "Back then, I was afraid that if I told on her, my mom would dislike me even more."
He just wanted a little bit of his mother's love.
"Fool," Jiang Mingxi sighed. "But I've done a lot of stupid things to gain my mother's love."
Jiang Mingxi pulled her hand away from Song Lan's, leaned against Song Lan, and took off her wrist brace to show Song Lan the scars on her wrist.
"I thought that if I cut myself with a knife, she would feel sorry for me. I looked at her as I cut myself, but she didn't."
Song Lan grabbed Jiang Mingxi's wrist, her fingers tracing the scars on his wrist.
He paused for a moment.
He raised his wrist, took off the watch, and said, "I have one too."
Jiang Mingxi immediately noticed the scar on Song Lan's wrist. It was clearly deep, suggesting that when she cut it, she was probably trying to die.
"When?"
"Sometime after the car accident, my mom and brother died. I couldn't stop thinking about how I should behave so that my mom wouldn't push me away. I thought about it too much, and one day I couldn't hold back anymore and cut myself. By the time my grandfather found out, I was almost dead."
The doctor said I was sick.
"However, I'm better now and I don't need the medication anymore. Don't worry, I won't have it cut again."
Jiang Mingxi touched the scar on Song Lan's wrist, feeling a pang of heartache. "I won't cut myself again."
If Zhao Jiayuan were even there, he'd roll his eyes. What's wrong with you two? Making vows of eternal love? Guaranteeing you'll never touch Zisha again?
You two are truly amazing!
Speaking of Zhao Jiayuan, Zhao Jiayuan arrived.
As the two were talking, Jiang Mingxi's phone rang.
She pulled out her phone and answered. Zhao Jiayuan's frantic voice came through the other end, " Xiaoxi! Where are you? The internet is in an uproar! What's going on between you and Ji Hanyu?!"
It was Chen Chong's voice beside me, "Don't rush, ask slowly."
Zhao Jiayuan muttered to himself, "How can I not be anxious!"
After muttering to himself, he called into the phone again, "Check your phone! The trending topics are all over the place! They're saying you bullied Ji Hanyu because of Bai Zheming, and that you cheated on Song Lan. What's going on? Do you have a PR team? Where are you? Chen Chong and I are coming to find you. Where's Song Lan? Does he know? My God, I hope he doesn't get jealous and cause trouble again."